48 year old man married stepdaughters aged 15 and 17

[_degaston]

On my Facebook wall yesterday I posted a story in my family history as I'm a great-great-great grandson of Levi Savage Jr. My mom's reply was "beware of judging those of former generations by today's standards". Anyone know if it was the norm across America (Mormonland not included) in 1868 for stepdads to marry stepdaughters who they raised from ages 5 and 7 for a decade?

On March 28, 1818 Ann Brummell was born in England. She married a man named George Cooper and they had 3 daughters. Mary Ann Cooper was born November 22, 1850. Adelaide Cooper was born November 28, 1852. A younger sister named Sarah Ann made the journey with mom and her 2 sisters to America with fellow Mormon converts but she died in Iowa on July 5, 1856 in Iowa. Ann Brumwell Cooper and her 2 daughters then joined the Willie Handcart Company whose ill-fated story is well-known in Mormon Pioneer History. See http://tellmystorytoo.com/members-willi ... rt-company for a list of the company members. Eventually on October 31, 1858 Ann Brummell Cooper marries Levi Savage Jr. born March 23, 1820 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levi_Savage) who was a Captain of Hundred in the Willie Company and famous now for his warning that the company should not go until Spring because they were late in the season. He was strongly rebuked for his opinion but he went along anyway and helped bury many of the 68 who perished in the Willie Company. When Levi and Ann joined their families together Levi's son Levi Mather Savage born January 11, 1851 was 7 years old and Ann's daughters were 7 and 5 years old. Levi was a widower whose first wife Jane had died December 29, 1851.
Nearly 10 years later Levi Savage Jr. at age 48 married his 2 stepdaughters. First on October 17, 1868 he marries his 15 year old stepdaughter Adelaide Cooper (see http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Cooper-991). Then a week later on October 24, 1868 he marries his 17 year old step daughter Mary Ann Cooper (see http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Cooper-992). With Mary Ann he has 3 children. The first is William Brummell Save born August 17, 1869 to his mom who is 18 years. 8mo. old and dad is 49 years old. A son named Riley is born in 1872 and daughter named Clara Ann is born in 1875.
The father, wife, 2 stepdaughter-wives, and the 3 children of father-stepdaughter-wife Levi & Mary Ann live together in their adobe home in Toquerville, Utah.
On July 26, 1908 after nearly 50 years of marriage Ann dies. Then on December 13, 1910 Levi dies. All 3 children who were brought together into the same family by the marriage of Levi and Ann in 1858 died the same year many decades later.
Levi Mather Savage died March 15, 1935.
Mary Ann Cooper Savage died June 26, 1935.
Adelaide Cooper Savage died May 23, 1935.

[_just me]

Of course that was not normal. Fascinating story, though!

[_Mary]

Woody Allen comes to mind in the present day...

[_Equality]

Ah, the old apologetic canard of "Mormonism was normal by 19th-century standards." If that were true, would the Republican party have come into existence with a two-plank platform--to eliminate the "twin relics of barbarism," slavery and polygamy?

[_Darth J]

Ah, the old apologetic canard of "Mormonism was normal by 19th-century standards." If that were true, would the Republican party have come into existence with a two-plank platform--to eliminate the "twin relics of barbarism," slavery and polygamy?

Both of which were practiced by the Mormons in early Utah!

Isn't it wonderful? Isn't it marvelous?

[_Carton]

Savage would have been imprisoned for life by today's laws.

[_Pollypinks]

Well, At least it tells you the man was functioning very well sexually. And another thought, since most people with that much age difference between spouses are in the pedophile range, one would wonder who else was on his to do list. Must have been gross for those girls.

[_marg]

Woody Allen comes to mind in the present day...

Woody Allen does come to mind, except he didn't have a relationship with Mia Farrow's biological daughters (assuming she had any) whereas this Levi Savage Jr. married his wife's young daughters (who he had been father to when they were children) while he was living with the wife and those step daughters (at least one) had children. So wife and 2 daughters and their children all lived in the same household while he had a sexual relationship with all 3.

[_Mary]

Woody Allen comes to mind in the present day...

Woody Allen does come to mind, except he didn't have a relationship with Mia Farrow's biological daughters (assuming she had any) whereas this Levi Savage Jr. married his wife's young daughters (who he had been father to when they were children) while he was living with the wife and those step daughters (at least one) had children. So wife and 2 daughters and their children all lived in the same household while he had a sexual relationship with all 3.

True..

[_Morley]

Nearly 10 years later Levi Savage Jr. at age 48 married his 2 stepdaughters.

Man, I love Mormon history.